A five-second stress reliever can rejuvenate your entire body.

Feeling overwhelmed by stress? You're not alone. The holiday season can be a particularly stressful time for many individuals. Discovering an effective method to calm your rising blood pressure and anxious mind amidst chaos can seem like a daunting task. Furthermore, prolonged exposure to chronic stress can have detrimental effects on your health and overall well-being.

Thankfully, there exists a simple technique that can alleviate physical, mental, and emotional stress in mere seconds. And it's incredibly straightforward. All you need to do is press your lips together and hum. Recent medical studies have unveiled that this stress-relieving method is worth trying for everyone.

Chronic stress can have severe consequences that impact various systems in your body, including cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, nervous, and reproductive systems. In essence, every part of your body is affected by stress. Therefore, it is crucial to effectively manage your stress levels.

How to effectively manage stress

Addressing stress at its root cause is the optimal approach. This may involve altering your daily routine, adjusting your environment, or distancing yourself from stressful situations. However, there are instances where the source of your stress cannot be changed or eliminated. In such cases, it becomes essential to prevent escalating stress levels from harming your health.

Experts recommend embracing various relaxation techniques to shield your body from the negative impacts of stress. These techniques encompass meditation, physical activity, socialization, engaging with nature, listening to music, and reading. We have consistently highlighted the benefits of these methods in reducing stress levels within the body.

However, recent scientific findings indicate the existence of a stress-relieving technique that surpasses the effectiveness of these traditional methods.

Humming: An effective stress-reliever

Brian Lai, a breathwork expert from Hong Kong, shared with Vice Media: "Initially, the idea that the simple act of humming offers numerous benefits may sound overly simplistic, almost absurd.

"However, upon closer examination of the human body, we can begin to comprehend why humming has been utilized for centuries and why scientific evidence is now aligning with this practice."

Renowned cardiothoracic surgeon and author Gerald Lemole advocates incorporating humming into your daily routine as it expands the lymph vessels, enhancing lymph flow. This aids in transporting immune cells and eliminating toxins from the body's tissues.

Humming also benefits blood vessels by dilating them through increased nitric oxide production—a beneficial gas molecule that supports the overall health of the cardiovascular system. Nitric oxide levels rise due to air-filled cavities surrounding the nasal cavities, known as paranasal sinuses, which serve as a significant source of this gas.

A study from Sweden revealed a 15-fold increase in nitric oxide levels during humming compared to quiet exhalation. This leads to improved blood circulation, reduced arterial stiffness, lower blood pressure, enhanced exercise performance, and a bolstered immune system—all from the act of humming.

Some forms of yoga incorporate humming, such as the practice that involves the "ommmmmmm" sound. Another yoga variation skips the "o" sound and directly transitions to the "mmmmmm" sound, known as bhramari or bumble bee breathing. This technique was recently tested for its stress-reducing abilities.

Enhanced heart rate variability—a critical factor for longevity

In a study, 23 healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 60 wore a Holter monitor for 16 hours. This device records the heart's electrical activity moment by moment. Researchers analyzed the data during humming sessions, physical activities (such as walking, jogging, or cycling), periods of mental and emotional stress, and sleep.

The findings indicated that participants experienced the least stress while humming. Surprisingly, humming was even 12% more effective in reducing stress and aiding relaxation compared to sleeping!

How does humming achieve this effect?

Humming resulted in decreased heart rate and enhanced heart rate variability (HRV), which refers to slight time variations between each heartbeat. Higher HRV is associated with better health and longevity, while lower HRV has been linked to illnesses and premature death.

In April, the researchers published in the journal Cureus that "increased HRV can lead to improved focus and attention, enhanced quality of life, cardiovascular and pulmonary parameters, and better baroreflex (blood pressure) function."

They propose that humming is calming to the body because it boosts the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation, while dampening the sympathetic nervous system, which triggers the body's fight or flight response. The researchers concluded that humming "can effectively combat stress."

No specialized humming technique is necessary, but participants in the study were instructed to inhale for three to four seconds and exhale for six to eight seconds while producing a humming sound. They practiced this for at least ten to 15 minutes twice daily.